


Black World

by xenohog



Category: Sonic the Hedgehog - All Media Types
Genre: AU, Existential Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-08
Updated: 2021-02-08
Packaged: 2021-03-14 14:54:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,046
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29297697
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xenohog/pseuds/xenohog
Summary: something i wrote from shadow's pov while nearly running sonic the hedgehog over on his bike.he's got a lot on his mind... and he doesn't say any of it.it goes with a series of comics i drew as well:https://twitter.com/xenohog/status/1334808351381852161?s=20https://twitter.com/xenohog/status/1335814422519046144?s=20from an ongoing "au" story where nobody remembers the events of SA2-shth MIB style, it is over 10 years later from those events, eggman rules the technocracy and shadow and rouge work for GUN as agents. she still remembers everything, as she was the agent assigned to uncovering information about him in SA2, however, he does not. as he had his mind erased and replaced yet again... now they work together while he is closely monitored by the gov ;) they're x-files but sonic.
Kudos: 22





	Black World

Cool air, an autumn evening. The sky a dark blue. The cliffs illuminated in orange, though it was all just a blur to him now, he was going far too fast to even see any of it. The outskirts of the city.

His eyes narrowed. He hated the feeling of crying. The welling up in the chest. That ache.

There were few he allowed to see that. His fist clenched the throttle. _  
__  
_He’s had a lot on his mind. Memories creeping up again and showing him things he really would rather keep behind him. He was trying to move past those things. Take his own life back. Something. Easier said than done. The dreams were getting worse too. They were the type of dreams one would find themselves asking “ _Was I really there?”_ Or “ _Did that really happen?”_ His grip on reality not nearly as tight as his grip on the handlebars of that bike.

_Does he even have his own life? Why is he even alive? What kind of horrific idea of playing god? Why did so many people die for his life?_

  
He stops suddenly, as do the self destructive thoughts. A horrific loud screeching of tires, burning into the beaten road. 

It was faster than the eye could see, just coming down one of those cliffs that had become a blur, but he sensed the energy. _That energy._ Stopping just an inch before causing quite a catastrophic accident.

“You know... This is why they say _animals_ like us don’t need to be driving, pal.” A nice little cheeky grin behind a cloud of dust. Coughing a bit and waving his hand. 

This guy.

_This guy._

It was always this guy. Anywhere. _Of all places._ All the time. It seemed as though the universe had an agenda. He was in his dreams recently too. Quite often lately, actually. _Too often_. It was always the same thing. The same exchange of words. The same last look into each other’s eyes before.. 

“ _You know,_ maybe I shouldn’t have stopped. It would be nice to see you _over with_ already.” A nice smile too. Folding his arms. Classic. Something about getting into a quipping match with this guy was a little fun. 

_A little.  
  
_

The dream always ends in his own death. Burning. Falling into a void. Everything is dark. It’s always dark. He is dark. He sees death every time he goes to work. One after the other.   
  


_Death is the only absolute about life.  
_

The air gets cooler and they sit atop one of those cliffs illuminated in orange and a haze from the city far off in the distance. It’s thick, suffocating and hangs over like the feeling of grief that hangs over himself.

He brings his hands to his head, pressing against his eyes. He sat in silence. Thinking. He was thinking of her a lot lately. _Seeing things._ Seeing things that didn't seem right. Grotesque things. Horrible things. 

Such as earlier that day...

_The image flashed inside his mind. Red eyes. Bloodshot. Wide open. Terrified. The girl who always haunted his dreams._

_“What the hell...” He touched his forehead briefly. “Are you okay?” His partner asked with a brow cocked. Something was definitely up. Something that he was definitely not going to talk about. It’s how it goes. Still, she always asks._

_A deep inhale. No, he isn’t okay. Has he ever been okay? He’s living. Existing. Coping and dealing with it all. “Mhm.” Well there, that’s two syllables more than she expected from him..._

He did not want to think of her.

_He felt like he was born to suffer. A horrible creature. A fucked up vision of science. A crime against nature… There were things he was not supposed to know. But he knows. No he doesn’t. He does. He doesn’t. No. Won't accept it. He must. He won’t. He can’t._

He growls as he sighs and takes his hands away. He doesn’t remember what he was saying. He wasn’t saying anything. 

“...When I have a problem I just run.” _That_ _guy_ breaks the onslaught of destructive thoughts that have once again made their way into his head. Followed with a laugh, and it gets him a look that says _are you stupid?_

“You know what I mean. Look, I’m not talking about running away from your problems, I just mean... Find something to take your mind off it for a while.”

He smiles. Relaxing and enjoying the air.

“I can not be so willfully ignorant.”

“Then why did you almost run me over with that bike, huh?”

A sly little smile. Another quip coming on. “Because I knew it was you.”

 _That guy_ happened to be the closest thing he would consider _a friend_ , aside from Rouge, whom his relationship with was _strictly professional_. 

Except one time.

_And a few other times._

He trusts her. He supposes he could trust _this guy_. Sonic. He doesn’t like saying his name for some reason. It made him feel weird. He never had a problem saying Rouge’s name but he only ever called him _Him_ . Or _That guy_ . _That hedgehog._ Or just a nod of acknowledgement. _Hm._

That hedgehog’s life was intriguing. He lived among the last remains of nature. Where the earth wasn’t industrialized and _roboticized_. No humans. The government wasn’t watching here. Nobody had control here. Nobody was told what to do. The only force was nature itself. 

_This was the earth._

They had only hung out a few times, but he still remembers waking up to sunlight and the sound of birds the next morning. Then the smell of rain. The sound of wind through leaves. 

_This was the earth she showed him._

_This is what remained of the earth he must protect._

He didn’t trust anyone often, mostly because he doesn’t trust himself. He seemed to feel that anyone who got close to him would only be hurt. Rouge said that was ridiculous since she’s just fine. That’s not what he means. 

He wonders what’s on _that guy’_ _s_ mind. Does he sit and think of this kind of shit all day? What does he even have to think about? He stares at him. He can’t imagine much. 

_But there is._

He isn’t the only one with _dreams._


End file.
